In August 2017 our party of 3 made an attempt to summit the Golden Hinde, the tallest mountain in Strathcona Park, as well as all Vancouver Island.

We set out from Victoria, BC early Friday morning, giving ourselves 4 days to complete our task. The wildfire smoke was thick this summer but we were determined to press on regardless of conditions.

Things went generally well until day 3, when we followed the wrong cairn and descended a steep bushy gulley down to Burman Lake instead of continuing further along Burman Ridge toward the Hinde. In retrospect, it was a very foolish and costly mistake, and we missed our window to summit because of it.

Despite not summiting, we still did over 4km of vertical elevation gain during those 4 days. With heavy packs, this takes a huge toll.

Next time we'll give ourselves an extra day and pay closer attention to the map...

Shot with: Nikon D3400 w/1855mm lens